Choi matches course record, takes lead

Golf: If seeing the putts drop for birdie were not enough, K.J. Choi noticed his gallery growing and getting more excited for him Friday at Aronimink in the AT&T National in Newtown Square, Pa.

With five birdies over his last six holes, Choi had a 6-under-par 64 to match the lowest score in the two years the AT&T National has been played at Aronimink. It gave him a two-shot lead over Chris Riley, Charlie Wi, Justin Leonard and Bo Van Pelt.

Choi, already having a big year with his win at The Players Championship, was at 7-under 133 going into the weekend.

Spokane’s Alex Prugh shot a 76 for a 153 total and missed the cut.

• Cook, Huston shoot 63s: John Cook and John Huston shot 9-under 63s to match the course record and share the first-round lead in the Montreal Championship in Blainville, Quebec, the Champions Tour’s lone Canadian event.

Cook, a two-time winner this year, and Huston, coming off his first victory on the 50-and-over tour, each had 10 birdies and a bogey on the Fontainebleau Golf Club course on Canada Day.

• Do, Dodd reach final: Vietnam’s Brianna Do and Texas high school star Marissa Dodd advanced to the Women’s U.S. Amateur Public Links final at Bandon (Ore.) Dunes.

Do beat UCLA teammate Stephanie Kono 2-up in the quarterfinals, then topped 16-year-old Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y., 2 and 1 in the semifinals. Park beat Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals.

• Mills, Ernst advance: Corbin Mills and Derek Ernst each won two matches to advance to the men’s U.S. Amateur Public Links final on Bandon Dunes’ Old Macdonald course.

Jagr to Philly; Richards undecided

NHL: While Dallas Stars center Brad Richards was considered the cream of a small elite crop of players available on the NHL open market, dozens of other players reached deals in the first few hours of free agency.

There were unofficially 63 new deals reached during the first day of free agency. Of the 30 NHL teams, 25 signed at least one player and 23 of those came to terms with a player who was with a different team last season.

The biggest name to find a new home was 39-year-old Jaromir Jagr, who is returning to the NHL from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League after a three-season stint following his time with the Rangers.

Mercury beat Sky; Vandersloot scores 14

WNBA: Diana Taurasi scored 24 points to lead the Phoenix Mercury past the visiting Chicago Sky 97-84. Gonzaga University graduate Courtney Vandersloot had 14 points and three assists for Chicago.

England rallies past New Zealand

Soccer: Jill Scott rallied England with a second-half goal and assisted on another for a 2-1 win over New Zealand in Dresden, Germany, in the Women’s World Cup.

England moved into second place in Group B with four points.

At Leverkusen, Homare Sawa scored three goals as Japan reached the quarterfinals with a 4-0 win over Mexico.

U.S. squeezes past Serbia 80-78

Basketball: Joe Jackson scored 19 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. hit the tie-breaking jumper with 47 seconds to play and the United States (2-0) beat Serbia 80-78 in the opening round of the FIBA Under 19 World Championships in Liepaja, Latvia.

NFLPA, owners break talks for week

NFL: The NFL commissioner and the boss of the league’s locked-out players stood together this week and addressed the league’s rookies, a picture of cooperation that raised hopes pro football would soon be back in business.

The next bargaining session has been scheduled for after the holiday weekend.

State settles case with Notre Dame

Miscellany: Notre Dame will pay a $42,000 fine for six safety violations, make an undisclosed contribution to a memorial for a student videographer who died at football practice and start a campaign on the hazards of scissor lifts as part of a settlement with the state of Indiana.

Declan Sullivan, a 20-year-old junior film student from Long Grove, Ill., died Oct. 27 after the hydraulic scissor lift he was on toppled over in high winds while he was filming football practice.

• Nebraska joins Big Ten: The Nebraska Cornhuskers officially joined the Big Ten Conference, becoming its 12th member and first new addition since Penn State in June 1990.